The Very Latest On Desert Bighorn Hunts

Published: October - 1999

Hunting advocates looking for success stories need look no further than the mountains of Mexico, where South of the Border authorities and outfitters in recent years have put together a wonderfully trouble-free program of desert bighorn hunts. What's happening today in Sonora and Baja is a far cry from what used to take place here, when returning hunters not only griped about poor service and plunging trophy quality but they worried aloud about fraudulent permits and other hanky-panky. Nowadays, you have to dig hard to find a complaint about anything related to desert bighorn hunting. The permit system seems to be working. Outfitting service has absolutely soared in quality, as has the average size of the sheep taken. The only downside is price. At $45,000 to $65,000 per hunt, desert sheep hunting in Mexico is right up there with the most expensive single-species hunt in the world. Undaunted by that, hunters keep flocking to Mexico and, as long as they do that, you can bet prices will stay high.... So, what's the situation right now as regards permits for this year and next? Here's an area-by-area rundown:

Sonora: When desert sheep hunting reopened in Mexico in the mid-90s, this was the first region where permits were issued. The number issued has varied in recent years from 12 to 50. This year it appears the Mexican Wildlife Department has approved 40 tags for Sonora for the November 1999 to March 2000 season. Landowners belonging to the livestock association known as ANGADI have been allotted 20 of those, and from what I could find out at press time six were still available. The tags are being marketed directly by the landowners: Ivan Flores; Enrique and Javier Tapia; Alejandro Contreras/Eduardo Gomez; Malcon Bechelani; and Juan Manuel Mancilla. Cost of the tags ranges between $45,000 and $50,000. The fee covers all hunt services from arrival in Hermosillo. Last year, hunters who went afield with ANGADI were 100 percent successful on rams that scored between 160 and 179. Looking toward the 2000-01 season, at this writing it appears that 20 more tags will be available, and it is not too........(continued)